Never a Burden
by jackkel dragon
Summary: After an argument with Naomi, Seiko finds herself alone in the halls of Heavenly Host. With only a scrap of paper to protect her, can she find Naomi before it's too late? (Told from Seiko's perspective.)


For a haunted old schoolhouse, this wasn't so bad…

I chuckled and gulped as I stared at Naomi's butt. There were worse fates than being trapped in a room with Naomi…

"And what was that, exactly?"

Naomi rolled over on the infirmary bed to face me. I chuckled again, though I already missed the sight of her rear. "I can't help myself! When I see dat ass of yours, I just start to droool…"

Naomi gave me a strange look and shook her head. "You're so weird."

Shot down again. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised at this point. Naomi would never imagine looking at me the way I look at her… not with Mochida on her mind.

I reached into my skirt pocket and pulled out my paper doll scrap to make sure it was safe. Even if she never saw me that way… at least we'd be friends forever.

Naomi noticed me playing with my doll scrap and she reached into her own pockets. She sat up with an anxious look after a moment and started searching her clothes frantically.

"Naomi? Something wrong?"

She looked at me with a horrified expression. "I lost my student ID holder! Where could I have dropped it?…"

I was about to shrug it off when I remembered that Naomi put her doll scrap in her ID holder. If she didn't have her doll scrap…

"Let's go look for it!" I jumped off the bed and offered Naomi a hand.

Naomi sighed. "Don't bother. Not like we'll find anything in this school…"

I frowned. Naomi was getting tired or something. I was about to try to convince her to reconsider when we heard something from outside of the room.

"Big broooootheeeeer…"

That voice… that was Mochida's sister crying!

"Was that Yuka?" Naomi asked, pushing herself off the bed.

Looking out the door and back to Naomi, I remembered that her ankle was still sprained from when she tripped down the stairs. "Wait here, Naomi. I'll go get Yuka."

"But—"

"No buts, Naomi!" I closed the door behind me as I left to illustrate my point.

I ran down the hallway, past the mess of entrails splattered on the wall and the sealed science lab door. I started to call out for Yuka, hoping she would hear me and come my way.

"Yuka? Yuuuka?"

I was about to head further down the hallway when I heard Naomi scream. I spun around and started running back. I felt bad for Yuka, but if anything happened to Naomi…

When I reached the entrance to the infirmary Naomi was already outside, vomiting onto a wall. I walked up to her slowly so I wouldn't startle her and put my hand on her shoulder.

"Naomi, are you okay?"

She shivered a bit under my touch. "I'm fine… sorry about the mess."

I patted her shoulder. "You don't have to apologize for barfing. What happened?"

Naomi pointed at the infirmary. "After you left, some shadow… apparition… thing attacked me!"

I gasped and looked at the door. It looked like there were a few burn marks on it now. "Oh my god! It didn't grab you, did it?"

Naomi shook her head. "I got away. But we should consider that room off-limits."

"Okay. We need to keep looking anyway."

Naomi stood up and looked at me with a strange expression. "Looking for what? It's not like we're going to find a way out."

I hesitated. Was she really okay? "Come on Naomi, class 2-9ers never say die right?" Naomi just frowned and looked her her hands, which seemed to have a few splinters now. "Come on, I have a hairdresser's appointment tomorrow after school and we can get our bikes fixed afterward so we can go biking with Mochida over the holiday. Sound good?"

That strange look still on her face, Naomi looked up at me. "What the hell has got you so chipper? We're going to die here, Seiko! We're going to die and leave our families wondering what the hell happened to us. They're going to search and search, but they'll never find us. It'll be a huge burden on them—"

"You're wrong!" I shouted, interrupting Naomi's rant. "It won't be a burden. When you lose someone important to you, you cherish their memory and try to make them proud." That's something my dad told me when mom disappeared… he was smart like that.

"I don't know about your family, but normal people don't work like that!" Naomi looked angry now. Why, Naomi?… Why are you mad at me?

There was a moment of silence as we absorbed what had just happened. After a moment, Naomi turned away from me.

"Let's split up. Maybe we can cover more ground or something."

I shook my head. Naomi, don't you want to be with me?… "Who… who says things like that?"

Naomi spun around and clenched her fists before bellowing "Just leave me alone!"

I took a step back reflexively. Naomi, why?!

"You… you jerk!"

I couldn't think of anything else to say. I turned and ran away, hoping Naomi didn't see the tears in my eyes as I ran.

I ran a long way before I got a hold of myself… I was partway down the stairs to the first floor when I finally stopped to sit down and cry. I sat there sobbing, wondering what I did wrong. Why would Naomi get angry at me like that?…

I pulled out my paper doll scrap. Maybe I didn't need this piece of crap. Who'd want to be friends forever for a jerk of a fairwheather friend like Naomi? I was about to tear it up when I remembered Naomi didn't have hers. Good, she didn't deserve to have friends if she was going to blow up at them like this. I put the scrap away, glad that Naomi wasn't part of our Sachiko charm anymore.

An earthquake hit, but I just sat there, waiting for it to pass.

After a little while, I realized something. This was my first big fight with Naomi. She was probably tired and afraid. I shouldn't have left her alone… even if she was angry at me I should have been there to support her. I was the fairwhether friend…

I stood up and marched back up the stairs. I'd find her and apologize. She needs someone around to keep her from doing anything she'd regret, and we haven't found a single living person aside from us here.

When I reached the spot I had left Naomi, I nearly fell to my knees in despair. The floor had collapsed, blocking me from getting to the hallway Naomi must have gone down.

"Naomi…"

I felt a sob rising in my chest, but forced it back down. I had to find a way to reach Naomi. I went back down the stairs to look for another way to where Naomi had to be.

I was checking the doors to each of the classrooms on the first floor when one of the doors that had been locked earlier opened. Cautiously stepping inside, I found myself in a long classroom. Like, really long. I think you could fit five normal classrooms inside of it, and the chalkboard stretched the entire way…

At the far end of the classroom was something that looked like a lever attached to some sort of wire. I crept over to it and touched the wire gently, but pulled my hand back right away as a cut opened on my finger.

"Piano wire, maybe?" I thought aloud. I suppose I'd have directed that comment at Naomi, but she wasn't here.

Man, what I wouldn't give to hear Naomi play the piano again… Any song would be fine, as long as I could be somewhere safe with Naomi…

Not sure what else to do, I pulled the lever into the opposite position and the wire started to move. I heard some hidden mechanisms making noise around me, but I didn't see any change. I shrugged and left the room.

After I had tried all the classrooms, I was walking back to the stairs when I saw that a bridge had been formed over to the entranceway. Maybe that's what the lever did!

I crossed the bridge slowly, hoping it would hold my weight. It worked perfectly. I tapped the entrance door, but it didn't budge at all. Just as expected.

However, now I had access to the other way to the second floor. I grabbed a long loose board on the ground by the stairwell and ran up the stairs, placing the board in the gap Naomi and I had crossed earlier. Thankfully, the board I found was long enough for the gap even after it had widened.

I started running down the halls, calling out for Naomi as I searched each room. If I remembered the layout correctly, we'd have to bump into each other eventually at this rate.

I hesitated before going into classroom 3-A… The first time Naomi and I were here, I got us trapped with my curiosity by reading that stupid newspaper. I didn't really want to risk it again… but if Naomi was in there…

"Naomi? Are you in there?…"

No response.

I stepped in slowly, keeping one foot outside the doorway. I looked around, but it seemed to be darker than before. I could barely see anything past my arm.

I was about to turn away and leave when I noticed something on the ground. It looked strange and unfamiliar… but I was worried if I tried to check it I'd be a goner.

But what if Naomi was trapped in there, afraid and alone?…

I stepped in all the way. Nothing happened. I took a loose board and set it up so it would prop the door open if it tried to close on me. Then, I walked further in.

"Naomi? I'm sorry… don't be afraid to say something to me…"

I walked toward the strange object I had seen from the doorway. It looked like… oh god!

I knelt next to the dismembered leg. It looked really fresh, and blood was still spurting from the severed arteries. Touching it, I felt that it was still warm.

"N-Naomi!" I shouted into the darkness. "If you're there, say something!"

I took a few more hurried steps into the darkness and stepped on something. Looking down, it was an arm, also freshly pulled from its victim. A Kisaragi girl's uniform sleeve was on the arm.

Realization dawning on me, I forced myself to disbelieve what I saw around me. I ran further into the room.

"Naomi! NAOMI! Say something, anything!"

My shouting was interrupted by seeing something at my feet. I gasped and almost started coughing. I fell to my knees.

"Naomi? Naomi?! NAOMI!"

Just within arm's reach… was the dismembered head and torso of my best friend, her limbs ripped off like she had been drawn and quartered.

I thought I should be in tears. She was more than my friend. I loved her. I could never stand to see her unhappy… I tried to stay strong for her through all this…

And now she was dead…

Why couldn't I cry? I should be crying…

Am I in shock?… How else… could I not react to this?…

Naomi…

What… what am I going to tell Mochida and your mom?…

I wrapped my arms around what remained of Naomi and held her close, like a mother would hold a child. Blood squirted out onto my clothes, and I was drenched in Naomi's blood in seconds. But I just held tighter.

I brushed some hair aside to look at her face. She looked so afraid. She must have been terrified… Whoever did this… was a monster…

I touched my forehead to hers. "I'm sorry, Naomi. I shouldn't have left you…"

I just sat there like that for a while, not really paying any mind to what happened around me. Why should I? My closest friend… my love… was dead in my arms, destroyed by vengeful spirits.

Suddenly, it felt even colder than usual and I looked up from Naomi's broken body. Around me, in the darkness, were the ghosts of four children. Three of them looked horribly disfigured, but the fourth I recognized…

It was the girl in the red dress.

"What do you want from us?!" I shouted at her, my voice cracking partway through.

She frowned at me and held up a scrap of paper. "I'm taking these back from you. You won't need them anymore."

I shook my head. "You killed Naomi over a piece of paper?!"

The girl glared at me. "Not just any paper. These little scraps seem to give you a bit of protection here… so the fewer there are around, the more interesting things will get."

I reached into my skirt pocket and made sure my paper scrap was still there. The girl noted my action and reached out a hand.

"Why don't you just give that to me, and we won't rip your arms and legs off like we did to your friend?"

I looked at Naomi's terrified face. I'm sorry this had to happen to you, Naomi… I'm sorry I'm going to leave you in this place with no escape and no hope of heaven… But I have to… tell your mom what happened to you. You said you'd be a burden on her… and I can't let that happen.

"Well?" The girl motioned to hand over my paper scrap.

I gently laid Naomi back on the floor and stood up as if to give the girl the paper scrap. But instead, I turned and ran for the door. The girl squealed out in anger, and I heard the other ghosts respond with broken voices, but I wasn't listening to them anymore.

The door slammed, but my board kept it from shutting. I shoved the door out of my way and ran out of the room.

Behind me, I heard the little girl's voice…

"You can't run forever. I control the fates of those in this plane. You will die as I intend you to."

I turned around and shouted back at her. "I'm not going to die here! I'm not afraid of you!"

The girl stared at me from down the hallway. "If you're not afraid… why are you running?"

I felt a sudden urge to walk toward the girl. I took one step forward, but then I realized it was a trick. She could influence me just by talking.

"I'm not going to fall for your tricks! I need to escape, for Naomi's sake!"

The girl just kept staring at me. Then, her face softened and she started giggling.

"Ahahahahaha! You think you can escape from me? I caught your friend crying your name in a corner, too broken to even try to run. You'll eventually break too… and then I'll kill you."

I turned around and started running again. Think what you want, little jerk. I'm getting out of here.

Naomi… I'm sorry. If there's a way to save your spirit… I'll come back for you.

I promise.


End file.
